This invention relates to spas and more particularly to weir apparatus incorporated in spas.
It is well known to incorporate filters in spas which filter the water during recirculation thereof. Typically, the filters are incorporated in housings or compartments of the spas and it is also well known to provide weirs in association with the filter housings or compartments to control water flow. Weir gates can be fixed or they can be movable to compensate for changes in the height of the surface of water in the spa, such as may be caused by different numbers of people occupying the spa.
Conventional practice has been to employ a single weir door. Such arrangements can be relatively slow in responding to water height variations. Furthermore, such devices allow debris in the filter housing or chamber to return to the spa body interior after the spa is powered down.
The present invention relates to a spa weir system which provides for a quicker response to water height variations than is the case with conventional weir door systems. Furthermore, the present invention significantly reduces the amount of debris that can flow back into the spa body interior after the unit is powered down.
Incorporated in the present invention is a spa including a spa body having a spa body interior and an opening communicating with the spa body interior.
Weir means is connected to the spa body and located at the opening for controlling the flow of water through the opening. The weir means includes a first weir door and a second weir door.
A first connector pivotally connects the first weir door to the spa body and a second connector pivotally connects the second weir door to the first weir door.
The spa additionally includes a filter housing defining a filter housing interior. The opening provides communication between the spa body interior and the filter housing interior.
The first and second weir doors are buoyant and responsive to changes in water level in the spa body interior and the filter housing interior to move between a first orientation wherein the first and second weir doors are substantially vertically aligned in the opening and substantially close the opening and the second orientation wherein the first and second weir doors are angularly disposed relative to one another and are positioned in the filter housing interior.